Valved fuel cell employing proportional mixing chamber



Nov. 26, 1957 B. c. MOWAT 2,314,308

VALVED FUEL CELL EMPLQYING PROPORTIONAL'MIXING CHAMBER Filed Aug. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Banana 6. Memo! I I INVENTOR. By 21mm... v

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B. C. MOWAT Nov. 26,1957

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fil'd Aug. 10, 1956 7 m F 2 a 2 y d 8 6 m 2 4 \M 6 O m m 0 0 A WN a 0m 4 Mm my C w a 6 n T m flu H a w VALVED FUEL CELL EMPLOYING PROPOR- TIONAL MIXING CHAMBER Benona C. Mowat, Elkhart, Ind. Application August 10, 1956, Serial No. 603,412 4 Claims. (Cl. 137-576) This invention relates to the art of mixing and dispensing and more particularly to a proportional mixing container for use in storing, mixing, and dispensing fuel for internal combustion engines or any other two suitable fluids.

Internal combustion engines, such as outboard motors or the like, as are used on boats and elsewhere utilize fuel consisting of a mixture of gasoline and oil which are mixed in a predetermined proportion. Difiiculty is commonly encountered in maintaining the mixture at proper portion during refilling after the tank or container has been partially emptied. It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide means for facilitating the accurate mixing of the constituents of the fuel in the proper and desired proportion independent of whether or not the container or tank is wholly or partially emptied.

The construction of this invention features a fuel container having a chamber of smaller size in predetermined proportion to the tank mounted there inside communicating with the filler neck of the container and the interior of the container. Incorporated in the invention is a novel arrangement of parts for opening and closing valve means which permit fluid to flow through the valve ports.

,Still further objects and features of this invention reside in the provision of a proportional mixing container which is simple in construction, inexpensive to produce, strong and durable, and which is efiicient in use.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of the invention which will become apparent as the following description proceeds, are attained by this proportional mixing container, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the proportional mixing container comprising the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail view as taken along the plane of line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the planes of line 44 of Figure 2 illustrating in particular the position of the spring member and the valve flaps;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view similar to that of Figure 2 but shown with the valve member in a closed position;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the valve member;

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the spring member;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the chamber; and

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a modified form of the invention.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, reference numeral 10 generally designates a container for any suitable fluid as desired, such as the combination of gasoline and oil as is used as a fuel for outboard motors and other internitcsStates Patent Ofii 0 a chamber v 2,814,308 Patented Nov. 26, 19517 nal combustion engines. The container 10 is provided with means for adding exact amounts of the oil and gasoline so as to maintain the fuel mixture in the proper proportions. The container 10 may be of any suitable shape or size as is desired and of course the container may be so designed as to permit any suitable proportional mixture of the two liquids to be readily and easily obtained.

The container 10 has a neck 12 secured in the top 14 thereof and underlying the hollow cylindrical neck 12 is 16 of any shape, so long as the horizontal cross-section is proportional to the same horizontal crosssection of the container 10 on any plane, which chamber occupies a predetermined proportion of the total volume capacity of the container. As shown, the chamber 16 is of a rectangular shape but any other suitable shape may be readliy utilized. The chamber is provided with a pair of outlet ports 18 and 20 therein in opposite sides of the chamber which outlet ports 18 and 20 are adjacent the bottom 22 of the container 10. Grooves 18 and 21 are provided adjacent the peripheral edge of the ports 18 and 20 and serve to stiffen the valve seats formed by the sheet metal members at the ports and to maintain accuracy of the mating surfaces of the valve construction for the ports 18 and 20.

Positioned above the ports 18 and 20 are apertures 24 and 26 which form bearings for the ends 28 and 30 of a spring member 32, the ends 28 and 30 being in the form of stub shafts. The spring member 32 has a central loop spring 34 urging the axle portions 28 and 30 through apertures 52 and also includes generally L-shaped elbow portions as at 36 and 38 which elbow portions extend in part through a pair of notches 40 and 42 formed in a valve member 44. The valve member 44, whose construction can be best seen in Figure 6 includes a pair of flaps 48 and 50 which flap members 48 and 50 are adapted to close the ports 18 and 20 when positioned in alignment therewith. The stub shafts 28 and 30 of the spring member 32 extend through apertures 52 in the valve member 44 and a further pair of apertures 54 is formed in the valve member 44 for reception of a shaft 56 carrying-a bearing 58 about which an eye portion 60 of an actuating or control rod 62 is positioned. The control rod 62 extends upwardly through an opening 64 in a bracket 66 secured to the neck 12 and is provided with a loop-like handle 68 at its upper portion which enables the operating rod 64 to be readily grasped. A chain 70 is terminally secured to the loop-like end 68 and to a bracket 72 depending from a top cap 74 which may be threadedly secured or otherwise afiixed to the neck 12.

A displacement member may be threadedly detachably secured in a threaded aperture in the container 10 which communicates with the chamber 16 so that the volume capacity of the chamber may be varied. The displacement member 80 may be provided with a threaded regular polygon shaped top 82 for enabling the removal or emplacement thereof for greater convenience. A vent cap 86 is provided for the container 10 and has a carrying handle 88. In the embodiment shown in Figure 9, the container is provided with a proportional mixing chamber 102 similar to the chamber 16 and having all of the component elements much the same in construction. A handle 104 is provided for the device as is a delivery tube 106 which is provided for enabling the delivery of the admixed fluid to another receptacle.

In use, when it is desired to prepare fuel in the proper proportions, and with the tank initially empty, the ac tuating rod 62 is pulled upward against stops formed by point 75 contacting the side of proportioning chamber 16, in which position ports 1820 are closed. Thereafter, the chamber 16 may be filled with oil. Subsequently, the control rod 62 is moved downward with stops 85 against side of chamber 16, in which position the ports 18 and 20 are open allowing the oil to flow throughout the tank 10, and further allowing the whole tank to be filled with gasoline making the correct proportion of oil to gasoline. On the other hand, when the container 10 is already partially filled with previously mixed fuel, it is only necessary to set tank 10 on a level surface allowing liquid to seek its own level in both chambers, the control rod 62 is moved into the upper position closing ports 18 and 20, the chamber will now hold that amount of oil required for the gasoline required to fill the tank, and the chamber may now be filled with oil. The control rod 62 is now moved downward to open ports 18 and 20 enabling the whole tank 10 to be filled with gasoline, providing a fuel mixed in the correct proportions.

This construction insures that the ports 18 and 20 must remain in the open position while the tank 10 is in use by virtue of the cap being in place and holding the control rod in the open position, and further insures proper and uniform circulation throughout both chambers.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A proportional mixing container having a chamber disposed therein, said chamber having ports therethrough communicating with said container, a valve member disposed in said chamber and having a pair of flap portions for closing said ports, means pivotally securing said valve member to said chamber, and an operating rod conneeted to said valve member for pivoting said valve member, said means including a spring member journalled in said casing, said valve member having apertures therethrough, said spring member extending through said apertures.

2. A proportional mixing container having a chamber disposed therein, said chamber having ports therethrough communicating with said container, a valve member disposed in said chamber and having a pair of flap portions for closing said ports, means pivotally securing said valve member to said chamber, and an operating rod connected to said valve member for pivoting said valve member, said means including a spring member journalled in said casing, said valve member having apertures therethrough, said spring member extending through said apertures, said spring member having resilient portions engaging said fiap portions urging said flap portions against said chamber.

3. A proportional mixing container having a chamber disposed therein, said chamber having ports therethrough communicating with said container, a valve member disposed in said chamber and having a pair of flap portions for closing said ports, means pivotally securing said valve member to said chamber, and an operating rod connected to said valve member for pivoting said valve member, said means including a spring member journalled in said casing, said valve member having apertures therethrough, said spring member extending through said apertures, said container having a neck portion, said operating rod having a free end extending up into said neck portion, said neck portion communicating with said chamber and with said container through said ports.

4. A proportional mixing container having a chamber disposed therein, said chamber having ports therethrough communicating with said container, a valve member disposed in said chamber and having a pair of flap portions for closing said ports, means pivotally securing said valve member to said chamber, and an operating rod connected to said valve member for pivoting said valve member, said means including a spring member journalled in said casing, said valve member having apertures therethrough, said spring member extending through said apertures, said spring member having resilient portions engaging said flap portions urging said flap portions against said chamber, said container having a neck portion, said operating rod having a free end extending up into said neck portion, said neck portion communicating with said chamber and with said container through said ports.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

